PE SE Licensing Processing in IL

Hi everyone,

I'm in IL, recently graduated (May 2011) with my MSCE with an emphasis in Structures. I was reading up online and discussing with a couple of coworkers and have a few questions:

1. My coworker was saying that we can take the test before we have 4 years of the required experience. The license just wouldn't be valid until I have obtained the required experience. Is this right?
   
2. From my understanding, as a structural guy, I'm supposed to take the SE exam, but I was wondering if I can take the PE exam as well? Would this be useful at all if I'm doing strictly structural work?
   
3. If I only have an SE and I'm transferring to a state in which SE doesn't exist so a PE is required instead (like Indiana), how would that work? Would the SE license be acknowledged as a PE license instead?
   

Thanks!

I'm not sure about IL allowing you to take the SE exam that early. They will review your application package and then the board decides whom to allow to take the test. Generally you can only take the test when it is the last remaining requirement. However, I did have an issue with my IL SE application that may allude to your friend possibly being correct. I took the old NCEES SE I as my Indiana PE exam and then a couple years later applied for my IL SE. Indiana is terribile about filling out forms so my FE and SE I results were not turned in to the IL board before they were reviewing the applications. I still recieved my letter stating I could take the SE II exam. When I called the IL board they said I could take the test but I wouldn't have a license number until they got the proper forms from IN. Indiana ended up ponnying up the forms in time though.

As far as commity with other states, I belive you'd be able to get commity to any state with a SE license act (title or practice) using the new NCEES 16 hour exam. I don't think you'd be able to get a PE in some states even with the SE exam under your belt. For instance, CA, OR, and WA require you to be a Civil PE before you can be licensed as a SE. None of those three states will take the new SE exam as satisfying the exam requirements for a Civil PE. CA actually has two additional exams for Civil PE's that must be passed in addition to the NCEES 8 hour PE exam.